The first year of your baby's life will fly by. In the blink of an eye, that little bundle of joy that you were so nervous to bring home will turn into a babbling, crawling, food-flinging 1-year old -- and from there life only moves more quickly. That's why it's so important to document the first year of your baby's life.

Check out some of these clever ways to capture baby's precious first year.

The Bodysuit Sticker Salute

The bodysuit is a staple in every baby's wardrobe, but the monthly bodysuit sticker has become a tradition in itself. The idea behind the monthly bodysuit sticker is to take a photo of your baby each month during his first year of life wearing the corresponding bodysuit sticker to his age. You can then gather all the photos in an album, or frame them side-by-side.

Related Links

The Tasty Treat Tribute

If you're a sweets lover (and you just know your little one will be, too), using decorative cookies or cupcakes to celebrate each month of your child's first year is a cute way to document her growth. Spell out the number of months on the cupcakes or cookies, or just place your kid with the correct number of sweets that corresponds to her age (one month with one cookie, two months with two...).

The Chalkboard Creation

If you feel like getting a little more creative, this idea could be for you. Get a large chalkboard and write "A Year of Firsts" on the top (either with chalk or paint, if you'd prefer a version that can't come off). Then, during the year, take photos to document your baby's firsts -- first smile, first bath, first visit to meet Santa, etc. Glue all the photos to the chalkboard and write the memory and the date next to them, so you'll always be able to remember.

Related Links

The Déj? Vu Montage

Another charming way to document Baby's first year is to take one photo of her at the beginning of each month at the same place in the house. Try picking an oversize chair or couch, or on top of a large pillow, to really get the sense of small your baby was to start.

The Paper Fix

If high-tech arts and crafts isn't your thing, you can get the same adorable effect as the bodysuit sticker or the tasty treat by simply writing out how old your baby is on a piece of paper (well, okay, maybe make it a little bit fancy!) and snapping a pic of your baby with it each month.

Related Links

Just the Headlines

Scrapbooking the headlines from your baby's first year of life is another way to capture that whirlwind first year. Take photos of your child at the beginning of each month, and include them in the scrapbook with cut-outs and headlines from newspapers and magazines about what was happening in the world each month.

Related Links

Get Technical

Cowbird is a new storytelling platform that lets you upload a photo and associate it with audio. Use it to upload significant milestones in baby's first year, like the first time she rolled over or the first time she ate solid foods.

Related Links

Make a Memory Box

If remembering to snap a photo each month or creating something from scratch seems like a bit much to you, why not try out a memory box instead? Just grab a pretty box and toss everything in it from Baby's first year that you deem significant, like her hospital ID bracelet, the front page of the newspaper from the day she was born, and so on.